Changing the Narrative

All Out starts Global campaign to stop deportation of gay Iraqi asylum seekers from Germany

August 8, 2017

Global LGBT rights organisation All Out launched a campaign this week to urge the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to halt the deportation of four gay men from Iraq.

The campaign is being ran in partnership with two Germany-based organisations: Queer Refugees Network Leipzig and Queer Refugees for Pride. More than 20,000 people have signed the petition to date.

The petition highlights the danger that LGBT people face in Iraq, and asks German authorities to keep the men safe and grant them asylum.

One of the men is Dom*, who fled his home in Iraq after his name was included on a “kill list” that militia released to out gay men in the country. After this, armed extremists hunted him down, which forced him to leave Iraq and travel to Germany.

Matt Beard, Executive Director at All Out, said: “It is already shameful enough that people are forced to leave their own home and country because their lives are at risk, just because of who they are or who they love. Even more shameful would be sending these four men back to a place where they will be at risk of being attacked, tortured or killed. We urge the German authorities to reconsider their decision and to keep the men safe.”

An up to date count of the petition signatures is available on the campaign page: go.allout.org/en/a/iraq-not-safe. All Out will continue to share updates on this story as more information becomes available.